We are Korean Moms in training dedicated to psycho-analyzing our moms, reliving horrible memories of embarrassment and dread for the benefit of the public...all the while laughing like a wheezy grandpa. Someone needs to pay for our therapy...

Saturday, June 14, 2008

#39 Corningware

Corningware. It's white, has a faded, pastel, flowery design along the borders, and straight out of the 70's. If you're Korean, you have this, had this, or have seen this at another Korean person's house. All Korean Moms of a certain generation either inherited Corningware dishes or had them on their registry when they got married. Possession of Corningware is a requirement for Korean Momness. It is the only brand of dish that is worth owning. Do not ever break, lose, or lend out your Korean Mom's Corningware. She will turn you into stone with her stank eye and there will be no Aslan to cure you. To a Korean Mom her Corningware is older, more reliable, and better looking than you. It never talks back, and it will never be fat. You, on the other hand, will. Corningware is the secret illegitimate child of the Korean Mom. I once took one of my Korean Mom's Corningware dishes to college. She missed it more than she missed me. It eventually graduated and moved back in with her to her delight.

my korean mom just bought me a box of corningware for my new apt. i had asked for a variety of dishes and cups but she insisted that corningware was the best. anyway, they are the best. and she is the best.

OHMIGAWD. My mother has the same exact frickin' thing. And she never ever loans out her precious Corningware. Alas, on my wedding register (blushing) I had Corningware on my registry. It's in my blood.

I just found your blog and am now dying of laughter at the little picture of the Corningware. I always wondered why we were the only family on the block with a complete set of those... now it all makes sense.

Did you also have a blanket closet? We had one random closet where all the "mink" blankets were stored in a ginormous stack. Very handy for hide and seek.

This post brought back painful childhood memory - near death but for the grace of God (and love of child overcoming love of Corningware). Following a gathering (never called a "dinner party", for some reason) at our place, newly-washed 50+ pieces neatly stacked and placed on large platter, awaiting return to storage. I got usual chore of cleaning kitchen floor (which involved recycled towel and hands/knees - ya'll know what I'm talking about!). Unfortunately, I was a bit of a clutzy child - decided to stand up right by platter, caught outer lip and everything went flying and crashing down. Sturdiness of Corningware notwithstanding, only 3-5 pieces survived. I still remember the look on my nother's face when she returned from grocery shopping and saw the broken pieces neatly stacked on the platter...

every asian mom has that exact same pot in the picture. even some white mom's!my KM will never part with her coffee grinder and hand mixer (circa mid 1970's), both of which are yellow and cracked and old and with all the cracked cups and old bent flat silverware and stained mugs from when my parents first got married. my KM forced us to use everything until it was absolutely unusable. if it could withstand the dishwasher or if it would turn on, it was usable.

Coringware is great but actually, the new "ware" of the 2000's is LOCK AND LOCK. Basically tuperware with lock-hinges on all four corners making the containers "air-tight". My mom LOVES these. She had one in the freezer which fell out and cracked on the floor and when no one would 'fess up to whodunit, she cleaned it and had it on display for a week or so, determined to find the culprit.

I went though a Lock & Lock phase but now, you need to ditch that all and replace it with the special Korean glass-bottom tupperware with the Lock & Lock-type lid or else you are ghetto and will get Alzheimer's from the plastic. Also ditch all aluminum pots or you will die.